Woman in Real Life

I'm always a little shocked when I hear the first Christmas songs playing over the mall sound system. It strikes me as waaay too early! But then suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Christmas is almost here and I'm not nearly as prepared as I want to be. Fortunately I've got my Christmas table decorations all set. I partnered with beloved Canadian retailer Giant Tiger to put together a beautiful, budget-friendly festive Christmas table. Read on to see how I built my table decor step by step from the tablecloth on up.

I also have a new recipe for you - it's a simple vegan chocolate cake with fudge icing and crushed candy canes on top. I like this recipe because it requires only common ingredients and it's not difficult at all to prepare. In fact, this cake is quite easy to make, and yet your friends and family - especially the kids - will be impressed by its festive appearance, thanks to the candy canes.

I had so much fun creating a spring tablescape using lovely, affordable finds from Giant Tiger, a Canadian-owned discount retailer that sells fashion, food, decor, linens and more. I'm pleased to partner with Giant Tiger again to bring you ideas for a budget-friendly yet beautiful Thanksgiving table. Thanksgiving is all about food, family, fun and, of course, gratitude. While those things should be the focus, it's nice to set the scene and welcome guests with a festive seasonal table. A tasty, colourful dessert doesn't hurt either! In that vein, I am sharing a new recipe for easy-to-make, family-friendly vegan strawberry mousse.

Read on for table decor ideas and a celebratory dessert recipe!

*This post is sponsored by Giant Tiger. All opinions are authentic and my own. Thank you for supporting the awesome companies that partner with Woman in Real Life.*

*This is a sponsored post. All opinions are authentic and my own. Thank you for supporting the awesome companies that partner with Woman in Real Life.*

Spring is coming! Even though I see five inches of snow on the ground outside my window, I know spring can't be far away. One of my annual "celebrating spring" traditions is to set a bright and pretty spring table. I like to use a new, fresh design each time because spring is all about renewal and, of course, it's just fun to get something new. That being said, you don't want to break your budget buying tableware for spring - save some cash for those glorious summer outings! For my spring table this year, I partnered with proudly Canadian retailer Giant Tiger. They are well known for their (very) affordable and fun fashions, and they also have lovely, budget-friendly finds for your home.

Our Canadian Thanksgiving is coming up on Monday and I know I'm not alone in thinking that it came around so quickly this year. We had warm weather through most of September so it felt just like the summer we didn't get in July and August. Nevertheless, Thanksgiving is just about here and it's the perfect time to gather with family and friends to express thanks for all of our blessings. Family is the biggest blessing of all, and thanks to my wonderful in-laws, I'll be enjoying an incredible meal that I don't have to cook. However I thought I'd set a simple, pretty Thanksgiving table and have a nice pre-Thanksgiving meal with my immediate family. We like to make an easy tofu loaf or cook a store-bought Tofurky roast to have alongside mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce.

I'm also grateful for the wonderful women in the Year of Feasting blogging group. Today's post marks the fall edition of Year of Feasting, when the bunch of us, led by Dannyelle at Life is a Party, share our ideas for seasonal party decor. Find more decor ideas through the links at the end of this post.